Yet another tripod (head) question

Here's my current situation- I'm using a Bogen 3036 legset and 3039 head for all my 4x5 work. The setup is absolutely rock solid, but there are certain things I dislike about the head. One- I'm still not wild about the hex QR system. Two- I'm kind of tired of getting poked in the chest with those long handles. Three- I'm tired of catching every imaginable thing on those handles when working in tight quarters. And so the search begins again for a more workable solution. In the running this time around are the Arca B2, Bogen 3263 Gear Head, and perhaps the NPC Prohead. Of those three, I like the idea of the Arca the best, though it costs the most and may be hard to get ahold of. The Arca and NPC heads have the added advantage of being able to mate directly with the rail of the Arca Swiss 4x5 I'm about to switch to. The Bogen has a unique QR system but the gearing might be nice. I've done research but have not been able to find much feedback on any of these three heads. Nowadays the vast majority of the work I do in 4x5 is architecture, so most of the time I'm using the tripod head to level the camera and not a whole lot else. Occasionally, I'll do a shot at some funky angle and exercise the head's range of movement a bit more, but not very often. Any thoughts on these heads would be greatly appreciated.

i think there is a B2 on the photo.net classifieds and Badgers

graphics had a used one yesterday or the day before for $400.00

For a cheap fix, try the 3297 plate with your current head, and

replace the handles with shorter ones. If plate stability is your

biggest problem, this will probably cure it. If the long handles are

the bigger problem, see the Bogen 3057 & Ries heads, below.

 

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This plate (3297)provides more surface area where the camera sits,

and is better with most view cameras.

 

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You could try the 3057 Bogen head. Its design is more compact than

the 3039, and might solve your problem. The 3297 fits this, too, as

well as the 3039 and 3047 heads.

 

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The Ries J250 Head (http://www.riestripod.com/head.htm)is the

extremely compact, and if the handles are seriously in your way on

the Bogen, this is a solution. It's expensive, nearly $300, and light

weight (2.5 pounds). My only complaint is the camera tends to loosen

too easily, but going with a 3/8 mounting screw would probably fix

that. (By the way, if your using a 1/4 screw with the 3039 plates,

simply going to 3/8 adds a lot of stability.)

 

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http://www.riestripod.com/head.htm

 

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I haven't used the other heads you mention, but I know the Bogen 3262

is heavy (5.75 pounds) and is big, moreso than the catalog pictures

make it seem. Also, the gear mechanism is exposed & you'll get grease

on yourself, perhaps on your camera & lenses, too, if you're not very

careful.

 

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For the record, I have a 3047, 3057, and the Ries head. I like the

3057 best. The 3057 handles a 20 pound 8x10 easily.

 

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Good luck with your decision.

Charlie- I actually have a J250 head atop my getiatric A-series

tripod and I absolutely love it. I hat thought about just using it

on my Bogen for 4x5 stuff, but never could work out the logistics of

adding a panning base, which would be a necessity since the column on

the 3236 is geared and could not be rotated. My main gripe with the

Bogen QR system is just the lack of anti-twist plates without having

to shell out ridiculous sums for third party QR plates that never

really seem to fit the bill. True, all the RRS QR plates and such

aren't the cheapest pieces of metal to be had, but at least they can

be had for specific camera models and are relatively easy to come

by. I like the idea of being able to get QR plates made specifically

for my two Nikons, my Mamiya, and not even needing one for Arca 4x5's.

My geriatric Ries tripod, that is.

Hi Dave,

 

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I use the Arca system (B1 ballhead and RRS plates) for all of my

cameras (LF, MF and 35mm) and would never use anything else. I tried

a Bogen several years ago and couldn't stand it; I switched to Arca

after that and love it. I have no problem at all using a ballhead

with LF; it's very stable and easy to adjust IMO. True, I haven't

done much architecture and you may prefer to keep using a non-

ballhead for greater precision when you want to keep things

absolutely level, but at the very least you'd do well to move to Arca

QR plates. It's a pain to deal with RRS but his stuff is top-notch.

 

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Regards,

Danny

www.dannyburk.com

Dave,

 

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The plates for the 3057 have enough extra room you can bore some

extra holes & add some bolts, pins, or whatever, for anti-twist. I

was going to do this for my Calumet/Cambo 8x10, but I found the added

surface area and just using the 3/8 tripod screw is enough for me.

 

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Good luck in you quest.

 

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Charlie

I don't think you need the weight and expense of the Arca B2. The

Arca B1 will support up to 90 lbs as I recall. I have the B1 which I

used to use with my Linhof Technika (about 6.5 lbs) until I decided I

preferred a pan/tilt head for my large format work. I still use the

B1 with my Pentax 67 outfit, which weighs about as much or more than

many 4x5 outfits. The B1 seemed perfectly fine for both applications.

Just curious - what don't you like about the hex system? I now use

the Bogen 3047 head for 4x5 and haven't encountered any problems with

the hex system. I'll add just one observation - there are a lot of

very expensive ball heads out there - Arca, Linhof, et al. There are

a lot of relatively inexpensive ones too. With ball heads, I've found

the expense of the Arca to be worth it. I used a Bogen ball head for

a while and it wasn't nearly as smooth as the Arca, which made it

very difficult and aggravating to make fine adjustments. I'm not a

fan of ball heads with large format for the kind of photographs I

make but many people are and if that's the route you choose I would

definitely go with the Arca despite the expense. Just view it as a

purchase that will last you a lifetime.

Dave:

 

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While I cannot directly answer your inquiry regarding the use of the

3263 geared head, I can offer a little food for thought. If you like

the features of a geared head, consider the Bogen 3275 compact gear

head. I have used one for years with my Wista 45SP without any

complaints. At 2.75 pounds, it is three pounds lighter that the

3263. It has a feature that allows you to disengage the gearing for

rapid, coarse adjustment while the gearing allows you to fine tune

your composition. However, if you need the load capacity of the

larger 3263 head, I would go with the Arca B1 -- it's a fine piece of

equipment and weighs a fraction of the big Bogen head. Good luck!

Look at Gitzo heads and tripods.For me they are probably the

best,most reliable,stable,light in weight with many customisable

features.I use a Studex G1320 MK 2 (rapid column) with G1572

Rationelle 3 way pan head (quick release),which supports 17.5 lbs.The

legs support 22 lbs.On this I mount an Ebony SV45...granted this is a

light and rigid camera,but it managed to produce sharp images at 30cm

extensions on a very windy day.I use an extended plate for added

rigidity and to allow easy locking of the plate without interference

from the focusing knobs.The handles are not obtrusive at all,and I

use a hook from the centre column to hold a weight for extra

stability (eg my camera bag).This works for my camera.In your case

you may need a larger head surface for the size and weight of your

gear,or a geared head and column.Mine is optimised for travel,but

will work well in a studio or up a mountain.You might look at some of

their larger heads,but know that you will not have to buy another

tripod again once you find something that works for you.....they are

robust,simple,easy to maintain with well designed in the event of

having to replace any parts without compromising the whole.If you are

not short of cash consider carbon fibre legs,as I will when the funds

are better.But as far as heads go,test some out with a dealer,check

their website which gives animated movements and all the specs and

dimensions.Worth a look.Good luck.